Building the dream team: 5 ways to boost team motivation

Successful growth in the hair and beauty industry is about so much more than just having some great services. To really shine, you’ve also got to have a great team, all working together.

Creating the kind of environment that keeps your staff just as keen as you are to put in their best work can make all the difference.

Here are 5 tips to boost team motivation to keep them at the top of their game:

1- Keep communicating

Step one? Open up those lines of communication. When it comes to building enthusiasm for their work, keeping your team members personally invested is hugely important. Connect with them on an individual level, as well as a whole team. Try to schedule regular one-to-one catch-ups with each of your staff members. Give them a platform to let you know how everything’s going and speak honestly. Listen to their feedback carefully and take action where you can – after all, it’s them on the ground every day so their insights can be invaluable for getting a deeper understanding of your business. Seeing how seriously you take their feedback also goes a huge way to keep your team members motivated to keep trying their best – you’re showing them you see them as an integral part of your business.

2- Celebrate wins as a team

It’s important to acknowledge when great things are happening – recognition of hard work is vital to your team enjoying their work and putting their best in. Just had an incredible month? Make sure they know it. Record-breaking week? Tell them about it. Celebrate along with them – knowing that their efforts are paying off is a huge motivator. You can even shout out individual team members who’ve been turning in a stellar performance – they’ll really appreciate that their work is being recognised. Teams love to be kept in the loop, and it keeps them invested in what’s happening with the business in the long run.

3- Take time together

Team evenings and outings gives your team a great chance to get to know each other (and you!) as individuals outside the confines of the work environment. That emotional connection to each other is what builds an emotional connection to the work. These outings don’t have to be anything in particular, they can be whatever takes your fancy – in fact, it’s a nice touch to let them pick what you do! What’s important is that the team is out and doing something together. You don’t have to break the bank organising events like these, either – the occasional meal at a decent restaurant, ordering pizza in or bringing in a round of coffee on a Saturday morning will have a huge effect on building team spirit. Do try to foot the bill if you can – remember, it’s not a lost cost, it’s an investment in your team. Aim to do something together at least once every couple of months – it’ll go miles to making your team know you’re grateful for the work they put in every day.

4- Give them responsibility

Communicating openly with your team is a great start, but that’s really just the foundation when it comes to building motivation. To keep your staff really excited about their work every day, you need to show them you trust them. Keen to try their hand at a new treatment? Support their ambition. Want more freedom to organise their own days without having to run every little detail past you? Give them the chance. Knowing that you trust them with responsibility and autonomy is key for them to feel like a valued, integral part of the team. Plus, their personal and professional growth is a huge win for your salon in the long run – the less time you have to spend managing them, the more time you’ve got to focus on thinking about your business’ next steps.

5- Lead by example

Your final tool for keeping your team motivated? You. Be the change you want to see in the world. Leading by example is a really effective way to keep team morale high. If you’re polite, positive and proactive with your team whenever you’re in the salon, it’ll be reflected right back in their work. Motivation is about making people feel valued – treating them with the compassion, understanding and respect they deserve is an incredibly effective way to do that.

With Treatwell, you’ve got all the tailor-made management tools you need to make running your business a breeze each and every day. A beautiful calendar for your whole team to use, on any device. Unlimited team members, at no extra cost. Fully customisable permission settings and personalised log-in’s for every member of staff. Book in a demo with us today!